Water creeps over Echo Lake causeway

As water levels continue to rise at Echo Lake, water has begun to spill over the causeway that crosses the lake.

The lake has been rising up to four inches a day over the last few weeks, and with forecasts predicting warm temperatures through the weekend, it is possible that county officials will close the road sometime in the next few days.

“We’re keeping an eye on it,” said Bigfork fire chief Wayne Loeffler.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Department, in conjunction with the county road department, will make the final call on when or if access to the road will be shut down.

“If the water gets high enough to impede the safety of people crossing the road, we will have to close it down,” said Flathead County undersheriff Jordan White.

Officials will also consider the quality of the water as they decide whether to keep the road open. If the water is too murky for officials to be able to mark where the edge of the road is, they will be forced to close it.

“It’s more than just the depth,” White said. “It’s also a judgment call on what kinds of cars are using the road. Some of the bigger vehicles might be fine, but if there are a lot of smaller vehicles using the road, we might have to shut it down.”

In the event that the causeway is shut down, motorists will be forced to use La Brant Road as an alternate route of access to the homes and property on the other side.

As of Tuesday, about three-quarters of the roadway was covered with water, but it had not yet reached a level that would warrant closure.

Loeffler also noted that there have been reports of basement flooding in the Echo Lake area due to the rising water table.

“As that ground water comes up, it can get into foundations and basements,” he said.

Sandbags are still available at both the Bigfork and Ferndale fire halls. According to Loeffler, Bigfork still has about 2,000 sandbags on hand, and Ferndale has 1,000.

“We’ve gone through about two truckloads of sand so far, and we can get more if needed,” Loeffler said.

Loeffler cautioned people in the Echo Lake area to remain alert about possible flooding dangers, especially as the holiday weekend approaches.

“With the big Fourth of July weekend coming up, the big thing is to ask people to be smart and safe on the roads and out in the water,” he said.

UPDATE: Flathead County officials made the decision to close the Echo Lake causeway to traffic Tuesday night.

Loeffler said the fire department was notified of the closure at approximately 9:30 p.m.

"In some places it was up to a foot deep, at least, and it will probably get deeper," Loeffler said.

Although he suspects that some motorists will still try to use the road, Loeffler urged drivers to be cautious.

"I would strongly advise against trying to drive across it," he said.

Loeffler noted that although the road is still structurally sound at this point, conditions can change quickly as the water continues to rise.

"You never know, it could wash out," he said.